Packaged food product

Abstract

There is provided a packaged food product that provides improved visibility in a retail setting by having the capability to stably support itself in an upright position, i.e., to be self-standable. In some embodiments, the packaged food product comprises a lightweight, rigid first wall capable of being stably supported on edge on a horizontal surface, having a pair of generally vertical end edges at opposite ends thereof, and curved top and bottom edges extending therebetween; a second wall having a peripheral portion engaging the first wall, and at least one interior portion defining at least one product-containing region; and at least one quantity of food product disposed within the at least one product-containing region.

1 . An upstanding packaged food product comprising:
 a lightweight, rigid first wall capable of being stably supported on edge on a horizontal surface, and having a pair of generally vertical end edges at opposite ends thereof, and curved top and bottom edges extending therebetween;   a second wall having a peripheral portion engaging the first wall, and at least one interior portion defining at least one product-containing region;   at least one quantity of food product disposed within the at least one product-containing region;   the packaged food product having a width defined by the distance between the end edges and a height defined by the lengths of the end edges;   the packaged food product having complementary front and back surfaces, one being concave and the other convex, configured so that the product is nestable with other like products;   the packaged food product having a bow formed therein so that it is bowed between the end edges so that the bottom edge is nonlinear;   said bottom edge having a stabilizing point between the end edges, and a depth defined by a distance between (1) a first line extending between the ends of the bottom edge, and (2) the stabilizing point;   the product further having a center of mass disposed between the first line and the stabilizing point of the bottom edge such that, when the product is standing on edge on a horizontal surface, a second line extending from the first line to the center of mass in a plane perpendicular to the first line forms an angle α to the horizontal, and a third line extending from the stabilizing point to the center of mass in a plane perpendicular to the first line forms an angle β with the horizontal,   wherein each of α and β is less than 90°.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the bottom edge extends through an arc such that a pair of lines tangent to the arc at its ends intersect at an angle θ of about 40° to about 100°. 
     
     
         3 . The packaged food product of  claim 2  wherein the package has a height of about 4 in. to about 7 in., a depth of about 0.6 in. to about 2.3 in. and a width of about 6 in. to about 12 in. 
     
     
         4 . The packaged food product of  claim 3  wherein the width is greater than the height, and wherein the packaged food product has a width-to-depth ratio of between about 2:1 and about 20:1. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  further comprising graphics on one or both of the first wall and the second wall suitable for presentation to the consumer in a retail display setting, such that the packaged food product may be displayed with its first wall facing the consumer. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  further comprising graphics on one or both of the first wall and the second wall suitable for presentation to the consumer in a retail display setting, such that the packaged food product may be displayed with its second wall facing the consumer. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged food product of  claim 4  wherein the packaged food product has a height-to-depth ratio of between about 4:2.3 and about 7:0.6. 
     
     
         8 . The packaged food product of  claim 7  wherein the at least one interior region comprises two separate interior regions. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged food product of  claim 8  wherein the first wall and the second wall permit a substantially full view of the food product therethrough, and wherein the packaged food product includes only two layers of packaging material, the second wall having a thickness no greater than about 12 mil, i.e., no greater than about 0.012 in., the first wall having a thickness no greater than about 40 mil, i.e., no greater than about 0.040 in. 
     
     
         10 . The packaged food product of  claim 9  wherein the food product comprises a shingled sliced deli meat product and the flexible film conforms to the shape of the food product; the food product being hermetically vacuum sealed in the package; the packaged food product having a thickness no greater than about one inch. 
     
     
         11 . An upstanding packaged food product comprising:
 a lightweight, rigid wall capable of being stably supported on edge on a horizontal surface, and having a pair of end edges at opposite ends thereof, and top and bottom edges extending therebetween;   a quantity of food product disposed on and supported by the rigid wall;   a flexible film vacuum-sealed over the food product, cooperating with the rigid wall to form a hermetic seal around the food product;   the packaged food product having a concave first surface and a complementary convex second surface configured so that the product is nestable and stackable with other like products;   the packaged food product having a bow formed therein so that it is bowed between the end edges so that the bottom edge is nonlinear and has a stabilizing point between the end edges, and a depth defined by a distance between (1) a first line extending between the ends of the bottom edge, and (2) the stabilizing point;   the packaged food product further having a center of mass disposed between the first line and the stabilizing point such that, when the product is standing on edge on a horizontal surface, a second line extending from the first line to the center of mass in a plane perpendicular to the first line forms an angle α to the horizontal, and a third line extending from the stabilizing point to the center of mass in a plane perpendicular to the first line forms an angle β with the horizontal,   wherein each of α and β is less than 90°.   
     
     
         12 . The packaged food product of  claim 11  wherein the bottom edge comprises a series of connected line segments arranged in series. 
     
     
         13 . The packaged food product of  claim 11  wherein the packaged food product is continuously curved, and wherein the bottom edge extends through an arc such that a pair of lines tangent to the arc at its ends intersect at an angle θ of about 40 to 100°, the rigid wall being shaped as a portion of a cylinder, the flexible film being contoured to conform to the shape of the food product. 
     
     
         14 . The packaged food product of  claim 11  wherein the packaged food product has a maximum thickness of no more than about one inch. 
     
     
         15 . An upstanding packaged food product comprising:
 a lightweight first wall having a pair of generally vertical end edges at opposite ends thereof, and top and bottom edges extending therebetween;   a second wall engaging the first wall so as to define at least one product-containing region between the second wall and the first wall;   at least one quantity of food product disposed within the at least one product-containing region;   the packaged food product having a width defined by the distance between the end edges and a height defined by the lengths of the end edges;   the packaged food product having a bow formed therein so that it is bowed between the end edges so that the bottom edge is nonlinear and has a stabilizing point between the end edges, and a depth defined by a distance between (1) a first line extending between the ends of the bottom edge, and (2) the stabilizing point;   the product further having a center of mass disposed between the first line and the stabilizing point of the bottom edge such that, when the product is standing on edge on a horizontal surface, a second line extending from the first line to the center of mass in a plane perpendicular to the first line forms an angle α to the horizontal, and a third line extending from the stabilizing point to the center of mass in a plane perpendicular to the first line forms an angle β with the horizontal, each of α and β being less than 90°.   
     
     
         16 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  further comprising generally horizontal top and bottom walls, the packaged food product being stackable with other like packaged food products by placing the bottom wall of one packaged food product on the top wall of another. 
     
     
         17 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the width is greater than the height. 
     
     
         18 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the bottom edge extends through an arc such that a pair of lines tangent to the arc at its ends intersect at an angle θ of about 40° to about 100°. 
     
     
         19 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the bottom edge comprises a series of connected line segments arranged in series. 
     
     
         20 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the first wall has a generally concave front surface and a generally convex back surface. 
     
     
         21 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the first wall has a generally convex front surface and a generally concave back surface. 
     
     
         22 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the first wall is made of a thin, flexible material and is substantially vertical from top to bottom, and the second wall is made of a rigid material, the second wall having substantially vertical top and bottom portions, and one or more cavities formed therebetween to define the product-containing regions. 
     
     
         23 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the second wall is made of a thin, flexible material and is substantially vertical from top to bottom, and the first wall is made of a rigid material; the first wall having substantially vertical top and bottom portions, and one or more cavities formed therebetween; the one or more cavities defining the product-containing regions, and also defining a surface that is capable of supporting the packaged food product in an alternative orientation. 
     
     
         24 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the second wall and the first wall are joined to each other with hot melt or glue applications. 
     
     
         25 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the product-containing region between the second wall and the first wall is gas flushed. 
     
     
         26 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the at least one quantity of food product disposed within the at least one product-containing region comprises a vacuum-sealed food product in a separate pouch. 
     
     
         27 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  wherein the at least one product-containing region comprises a plurality of product-containing regions which are separable from one another. 
     
     
         28 . The packaged food product of  claim 27  wherein a perforation is provided between product-containing regions. 
     
     
         29 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  further comprising an engraved message along one or more perimeter edges. 
     
     
         30 . The packaged food product of  claim 15  further comprising means to facilitate hanging on a peg. 
     
     
         31 .- 58 . (canceled)